Vietnam prepares to leapfrog other countries in the race to 5G
The Vietnamese government is forging ahead with its strategy to propel the country to the forefront of 5G mobile adoption. One example is the intention to shutter all 2G and 3G networks in 2022, and reallocate the spectrum for 4G LTE and 5G use. A second proclamation involves banning the importation and sale of handsets that are not 5G-compatible. Whether these moves occur within the intended timeframe remains to be seen; 43% of the country’s mobile subscribers are still on GSM, so the transition to universal high-speed mobile services will face some serious logistical hurdles.
Meanwhile, the country’s MNOs have been carrying on with testing their 5G capabilities in preparation for the expected release of spectrum and licences in 2022. Market-leader Viettel claims to be one of a handful of companies around the world – along with Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, Samsung, and ZTE – to have produced network equipment for 5G. Viettel had intended to use the technology developed in-house for its base stations rather than Huawei’s products, however it may not have the intellectual property rights to operate as a major supplier in the same league as the other more established and well-recognised manufacturers.
Yet Viettel succeeded in something of a strategic coup in September 2021 when it produced record data transmission speeds of more than 4.7Gb/s over its trial 5G network. The tests were performed in partnership with Ericsson and Qualcomm, and used E-Ultra New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) technology to achieve the results.
